April 30, 2014

It’s one thing to say you care about the poor, the
hurting and hungry, but it’s a completely different thing to do something about it.
Daniel Ryan Day has done just that and you can read about it in his powerful book “Ten
Days Without: Daring Adventures in Discomfort That Will Change Your World and
You”.

Daniel chose to give up certain necessities for
ten days each and write about his experiences in doing so. Over the course of each of these experiments,
he impacted many people who couldn’t figure out why he was doing these radical
things. He went ten days without shoes (including walking into dirty bathrooms
barefoot) and ten days without furniture which resulted in lots of stares and
lots of questions. His mission was to bring attention to the many needs that people
have in our country and all over the world, and to bring about change in the
people around him. This book will
definitely make you think, and if you decide to join the movement you can have
a great impact on those around you.

Here
is a short summary of the purpose of the book from the publisher:

“This
compelling story and practical guide will equip you and your friends to break
through walls of convenience and indifference. Join a movement that is
confronting apathy and ignorance around the world to make an impact on people’s
lives in a God-honoring way. Ten Days Without is where our good intentions end
and making a difference in the world begins.”

I would recommend this book to anyone who desires to effect change in the world around them. Even if you don't see yourself going 10 days without shoes or furniture, you may get inspired to come up with your own challenges. It's an interesting and thought provoking read which will definitely prompt discussion if you read it with a church group or book club.

April 16, 2014

"Shades of Mercy" by Anita Lunstrea and Caryn Rivadeneira is a great book. It's enjoyable from the very beginning and by the end it's a page turner that doesn't stand a chance of being left alone when any free moments pop up during your day. The characters are compelling and real and the authors do a wonderful job of of creating almost instant empathy for all of their plights. The main characters, Mercy and Mick, have had a sweet friendship since childhood. We meet them as teenagers who are now in love and forced to hide their relationship because of the nature of their cultural backgrounds. Here is a short summary from the publisher:

"It's 1954 and the world-even the far Northwoods of
Maine-is about to change. But that change can't happen soon enough for
fourteen-year-old Mercy Millar. Long tired of being the "son" her
father never had, Mercy's ready for the world to embrace her as the young woman
she is-as well as embrace the forbidden love she feels.

When childhood playmates grow up and fall
in love, the whole community celebrates. But in the case of Mercy and Mick,
there would be no celebration. Instead their relationship must stay hidden.
Good girls do not date young men from the Maliseet tribe. At least, not in
Watsonville, Maine. When racial tensions escalate and Mick is thrown in jail
under suspicion of murder, Mercy nearly loses all hope-in love, in her father,
and in God himself.”

I believe this book would appeal to many different types of readers. It's a Christian romance novel mixed with a political and historical storyline filled with adventure, drama, and even a natural disaster. And the good news is, I've been given three copies of this book to give away to you! How to enter: (entries are now closed) *Leave a comment on this blog post telling me the last book you read, or what you plan to read next *Make sure I have a way to reach you if you are picked- either your comment needs to be linked to an email address, or leave an email address in the comment itselfRules:*You must live in the US *Each person must enter only once *Deadline to enter is Friday April 25th, 2014 at Midnight PST